01/03/2015

Deep Purple - Come Taste The Band

When Ritchie Blackmore left the band in April 1975, there was uncertainty over whether Deep Purple would continue. Paice and Lord wanted to stop the band but Hughes and Coverdale talked them into staying.
The band auditioned a large number of guitarists, including Dave “Clem” Clemson. Clemson had been in the English jazz-rock band Colosseum, and was at the time of the audition a member of Humble Pie. Despite the band’s initial optimism, Clemson’s style didn’t match what the band was looking for, and the lack of chemistry dashed their high hopes, prompting Jon Lord to almost quit in frustration. Coverdale was a major factor in recruiting Tommy Bolin to take the guitar slot.
"Come Taste The Band" is the tenth studio album by Deep Purple originally released in October 1975.
Unfortunately, Bolin didn't have exceptional material to work with -- decent and likable, but hardly exceptional. While sweaty yet melodic cuts like "Dealer," "Lady Luck," and "You Keep on Moving" are far from bad, nothing here is in a class with "Smoke on the Water" or "Highway Star."
The album was #19 in the UK charts, and #43 in the US and received a rave review in the leading British music paper, the New Musical Express. The album was certified Silver on 1 November 1975 by the BPI, selling 60,000 copies in the UK.